Driver fatally struck William Meritt, 57, on the Near West Side

A driver  struck and killed William Meritt, 57, on the night of Wednesday, May 6, on the Near West Side, police said.

According to police, at around 8:55 p.m. Merritt was crossing east in the 2400 block of West Congress Parkway with a female companion. Western Avenue north of Congress has eight lanes of traffic.

Police said the driver of an eastbound black Jeep struck Merritt and then fled east. A police spokesperson said it was unclear if the motorist was making a turn when he struck the victim.

Merritt, who lived in Lincoln Park, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The death was ruled an accident.

As of this afternoon, no one was in custody.

Fatality Tracker: 2020 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets

Pedestrian: 8
Bicyclist: 1

Note: Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago surface streets, based on media reports and/or preliminary Chicago Police Department data released by the Chicago Department of Transportation.